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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. charge — in control
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pitch — completely
  20. charge — electricity
  21. row — a line
  22. charge — a price
  23. lean — thin
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com